Miserable sex life could be sign of future memory loss: Study

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An unhappy sex life in middle age may be a red flag for memory problems later in life, according to a new study.

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Researchers out of Penn State tracked both erectile function and sexual satisfaction along with the sexual health and cognition of 818 men between the ages of 56 and 68 over 12 years.

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They found that reported declines in erectile function and sexual satisfaction applied to future memory loss.

“Research on sexual health has historically focused on quantifiable facets of sexuality like number of sexual partners or frequency of sexual activity,” the study’s lead author Riki Slayday said in a news release.

“What we were interested in is the perception of that activity, how someone feels about their sex life, and how that influences cognitive function, because multiple people could be in the same situation physically but experience completely different levels of satisfaction.”

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The study, published in the journal Gerontologist, is the first to track sexual satisfaction over the long-term in tandem with sexual health and cognition, according to the researchers. They determined that there is a potential novel risk factor for cognitive deterioriation.

“What was unique about our approach is that we measured memory function and sexual function at each point in the longitudinal study, so we could look at how they changed together over time,” co-author Martin Sliwinski explained.

“What we found connects to what scientists are beginning to understand about the link between life satisfaction and cognitive performance.”

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The findings show that decreases in erectile function and sexual satisfaction were both associated with memory decline, which the researchers say points to a connection between psychological and physical health.

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“When we mapped the relationship over time, we found increases or decreases in erectile function and sexual satisfaction were associated with concurrent increases or decreases in cognitive function,” Slayday detailed.

“These associations survived adjustment for demographic and health factors, which tells us there is a clear connection between our sex lives and our cognition.”

The participants were in middle age because the demographic represents a transition period where declines in erectile function, cognition and sexual satisfaction begin to emerge.

But while the team discovered a strong connection between the three health factors, they can’t say for sure what the cause is.

“Scientists have found that if you have low satisfaction generally, you are at a higher risk for health problems like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and other stress-related issues that can lead to cognitive decline,” Sliwinski said.

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